Interstellar Disorder
by K. Koutos
One century after the nuclear annihilation of earth, the wounds on its surface are still visible even from space. The crust of the planet is once again occupied by nature. Nevertheless, up to this time it is uninhabitable. All the survivors are currently living inside a colossal satellite which completes an orbit every 6 hours. It accommodates almost 12.000 humans. Expeditions on the planet are planned and regularly performed in order not only to perceive and maintain a sufficient amount of details about how the conditions on the planet are evolving but also to collect artifacts with the hope of advancing the understanding of human civilization.
While some of the citizens of the space station are working on earth, others, more ambitious about the future are preparing the ground for the colonization of other planets. The research so far has proved that, many planets away from our solar system are habitable. This new was characterized as a breakthrough and the research has been continued, however there are some moral issues with a decision such as this. Can humankind abandon its home world? Can humankind succeed its goal for a new beginning on an untouched planet or will its appetite for destruction and war, doom its existence? While a large number of the citizens argue about this decision, instability and indecision have prevailed in the satellite. With continuous debates over the morality and necessity of such a decision, both rival factions, unanimously propose elections.
Inside the satellite there are two major parties: the first one supports the colonization of other planets since the maintenance of the station is proving increasingly difficult with the current growing rate of the population, while the second supports that humankind must not abandon its purpose: the return to its home world. The supporters of the second one consider their rival party a heresy. After elections the colonist party wins with the 75% of the total votes. Shortly, the announcement of the results become publicly known and the party proceeds to the revelation of the operation. According to documents which were found on earth and some simulations on the station, one imminent solution for the major issue which concerns humankind is the colonization of the exoplanet Proxima Centauri b.
After celebrations, the legally elected government starts the preparations for the launch of the first four colonization spacecrafts. Four medium sized vessels which resemble the shape of a box start their journey among the stars. These metal constructions are each commanded by a 4-member crew which , is consisted of a rifleman, two researchers and an engineer. The cargo of the spacecrafts contains essential for life supplies, devices in order to produce more water, respiratory gases as well as communication devices. After 5 years of travel the first colonists will have arrived on the surface of the planet and probably this will be commemorated as the most significant day of humankind.
After their 5-year journey, the first colonists set foot on the surface of Proxima Centauri b. They face the large mountains and hills that extend over the largest part of the rocky planet’s crust. Among the colossal rocks which adorn this world, there are lakes with liquid water. The planet has a peculiar red hue due to the sun. They start building the base. Their priority is to generate electricity since it’s essential for the functionality of their electronic devices. Some researchers attempt to analyze the water in order to be certain that it is drinkable. After a brief analysis they reached the conclusion that the composition of the water is excellent. As soon as possible they set up the solar collectors in order to have a stable generation of electricity at least during the day time.
In a period of 2 days, the largest and most essential for their basic needs part of the base is ready. They start growing food inasmuch they do not have unlimited food supplies. Then they try to establish communication with the station. The crew transmits a report in which they describe the surface as well as their progress and accomplishments since they first set foot on this planet. The transmission will find its destination after almost two weeks since it has to cover a distance of 4.2 light years. According to the operation, these 16 people will prepare the planet for the rest of their species. Then, if everything goes as planned, the second phase of the colonization will be able to begin.
The crew had already started to adapt to the conditions. They send daily expeditions in order to get acquainted with the planet. The researchers make a breakthrough. They discover the existence of alien life. It may be in a primitive form but it is still a significant discovery. They transmit another message in which they clarify their discovery. When the researchers announce their latest accomplishment to the other members of the crew, they consider that it is feasible for a more complex life form to exist on the planet. They instantly realize that this changes everything, even their mission.
Over 3 weeks have passed since they transmitted the first signal, however the station has not responded yet. Their life has become terrifying since they discovered footprints on the soil near their base. Everybody inside the base has been frightened by this event. The colony is now guarded. The footprints confirmed that intelligent life forms dwell on this planet perhaps even before our civilization existed. They ponder what can exist on the other side of the planet. Will they be able to live peacefully here where other creatures exist before they even consider to land on another planet’s surface? Why is this side not inhabited? Can these creatures annihilate them?
Suddenly, an explosion echoed. They exit the building and stare at the sky. One of their landing ships which was meant to participate in the second phase of the colonization is falling from the sky while it is on fire. This colossal spacecraft is falling from the sky separated into two pieces with thousands of people inside it. Their salvation is gone! They are on a hostile planet with no stable source of food and inside a base which was never meant to become a fort. In less than 3 minutes they organize a team which will go to the wreckage of the landing ship and rescue the survivors if there are any.
The crew starts the expedition vehicles and rolls towards the crush site. They pass countless rocks and after almost 10 minutes they reach the site. A giant of the skies is destroyed inside an immense crater. They search inside the wreckage and they recover survivors, supplies and ammunition. While the members of the first landing party are leading the wounded and transferring all the essentials for the survival on this hostile planet, they find themselves under attack. Freakish creatures are shooting at them. The creatures are dressed with damaged clothes that remind of bandages. In addition, they wear goggles in order to protect their altered faces from the dust on the planet. The aliens are equipped with rapid firing guns and some kind of muzzle loading guns. They manage to deal a massive blow to the human convoy.
While the first human vehicle crosses a valley, suddenly an explosion in the ground prevents it from reaching its destination and instantly kills 7 humans. Their enemies had planted some kind of anti-vehicle mines. The second escorting vehicle barely manages to use its brakes in order not to crush on the first one. In a few seconds, the whole convoy has stopped and it is vulnerable to the enemy fire. The remaining rifle men mount the machineguns on the top of the vehicles and return fire. While some soldiers shoot on the aliens, some others are exposed and try to move the burned rover in order to move. After some minutes the convoy is on the move again. They are now aware of the mine threat but fortunately they do not detonate any additional mines.
When they reach the base, they attempt to reorganize. However, it proves unnecessary since their reinforcements have arrived. More specifically, one prototype of a space battleship. The spacecraft was part of “S.Y.” * program. This titan was built after the demand for a heavily armored space ship by the Japanese army in order to be able to launch missiles from space. The construction of this beast made of steel started before the nuclear war but she was never completed. Even with an immense lack of armament she is able to launch her missiles against the enemies with stunning accuracy. The enemy squads which had encircled the human base are now gone. The Yamato Mk. 2 is now trying to land near the base.
The metal giant has touched the crust of the planet and her crew is loading supplies on vehicles in order to transfer them inside the base. Then, they try to reorganize, and provide medical treatment to the wounded. The leaders of the operation who are now preparing the final attack on the aliens, are located inside the bridge of Yamato. Their plan seems hazardous but finally they unanimously agree. They have 2 days to recruit as many soldiers as they can in order to deal a last final blow to the alien threat. After a speech of the spaceship commander (the president of the colonist party), they have ensured sufficient soldiers not only to operate the spacecraft but to also use smaller teams on the ground. All the people have volunteered to risk their lives in order to be certain that humankind has a safe “home”.
Some small groups have been sent on a recognition mission. Their duty is to map the area around the alien capital and search for information which may help the human forces defeat their enemies. After the mapping of the region, on their way back to the base, they come across some aliens who are trying to take the corpses of their dead. They quickly perceive the presence of the humans and open fire at them. Fortunately, the teams were equipped with guns. Even with a huge strategic disadvantage, (since the recognition teams were in open ground and the hostile forces were located on the hill), our forces manage to triumphantly defeat their enemies. They investigate the dead aliens, inside the damaged clothes of the machine gun operator, they find something which resembles a book. They open it and try to decipher as much as they are able to since they are not aware of the language. They manage to acquaint themselves with the history of this exoplanet from the pictures which adorn the book’s pages. The alien civilization had suffered from a nuclear annihilation too. It seems that there are probably great filters which prevents the unchecked evolution of the species.
Only 6 hours remain until the attack, and the survivors of the recognition mission have returned to the base. They try to persuade the leaders of the offensive to cancel it, but unsuccessfully. They attempt to alter the public opinion against the attack. Nevertheless, the leaders realize that they are a threat to their plan** since the rebels, desire to sign a peace treaty with the aliens, thus they try to imprison them. After 3 hours the loyal to government soldiers have managed to find and imprison only the 3 out of 11 survivors. The recognition mission teams have now persuaded a large part of the humans about the attack. The government has now transformed into some kind of interstellar dictatorship. The supporters of the negotiation are being hunted and executed. Thousands of rebels are marching towards Yamato. A bloody uprising has now begun. The commander orders the guards to open fire at the rebel crowd. Hundreds of people are being killed. However, they have managed to reach the ship’s entrance to its interior. The guards are incapable of stopping them. Even humans who have been neutral so far are now marching towards her bridge via her narrow corridors. The guards try earn some more time for the bridge to launch the nuclear missiles against the aliens.
For almost 2 hours the rebels are fighting inside the corridors of the ship against the defending guards. The main collision of the two frontlines is located near the gates of bridge but the bodyguards of the commander are bravely holding their positions. The engineers who rebelled earned more time for their allies when they turned down the nuclear reactors of the ship. The crew, activated the secondary power generators which are located inside the bridge but they need 3 more minutes in order to be fully functional. While they try to launch the missiles, the rebels have reached the gates the first shots can now been herd inside the bridge. Rebels can now be seen among the crew. The commander makes his decision: humankind will not negotiate with aliens. He launches the missiles at the coordinates of Yamato. An immense explosion echoes loud and the ship vanishes. The planet seems empty, there is no life on it. Nobody has survived except from insects. The only survivors of humankind are located inside the space station in orbit around the earth.
*Space Yamato
** The leaders did not permit to the rebels to negotiate with aliens. First of all, it was an extremely hazardous plan since they were not able to communicate with a mutually understandable language. Moreover, the aliens pondered the humans as interstellar invaders who would exploit their vulnerability after a nuclear war, which lowers the possibility of negotiations even more. Lastly the aliens had advanced into a class 1 civilization, thus their exigency for more energy forced them to fight themselves for the last remaining recourses on the planet.